Fall is one of the greatest times of the year. You have football, holidays, and cooler weather. It’s the perfect time to start thinking about Christmas and drinking hot chocolate.
    
To me, the best part about fall is the beauty that nature offers during the last few months of the year through the gorgeous reds, yellows, and oranges that the leaves turn before falling. There is no better place to watch the seasons change than right here in east Tennessee.
    
One of my favorite things to do during autumn, and every other part of the year, is to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the park you can find hundreds of miles of trails that offer fantastic views of fall foliage.
    
The Smoky Mountains National Park covers more than 500,000 acres and receives more than 9 million visitors each year. The park offers visitors over 800 miles of hiking trails to get out and experience the beauty of fall up close.  
    
Even just driving through the park is a great way to see the changing leaves. The drive though Cades Cove is an easy way to take in the entire natural splendor. When you get to the old settlement in Cades Cove, you can get out of your car and hike some shorter trails, or simply just walk around the fields.
    
If you want to drive, make sure you do so early in the season. Trees begin to lose their foliage from the top of the mountain to the bottom. You can still go later in the fall, but you will have to stay lower on the mountains if you are looking to enjoy the bright colors of fall.
    
If you’re not that into nature or hiking, there are thousands of other things to do in the Knoxville area.
    
Let’s start with the obvious: sports. There is no shortage of sporting events to go to in the area. For starters, there are eight home games in Neyland Stadium. What is there better to do with your Saturdays than spend it with 100,000 of your closest friends and cheer on the Vols? Nothing. If you’re into prep football, there are several high schools in the area that have been nationally ranked. If you’re willing to travel an hour or so, Bristol Motor Speedway is a great destination to drive to.
    
Per capita, Knoxville has one of the highest number of restaurants of any city in the country. So, if food/cooking piques your interest, there is no shortage of restaurants you can try. I highly recommend anything in Market Square. Not only does it have a good selection of eateries, there are also numerous events that take place throughout the fall. These range from Shakespeare in the Square, where local actors put on various Shakespeare plays, to movies or different concerts by local bands and musicians.
   
 Into live music? The Tennessee Theater is a great place to catch a show. It's actually the state theater of Tennessee. Throughout the year, there are always big shows that come through town. For example, Old Crow Medicine Show will be playing the Tennessee Theater this Friday. I saw them a few years ago at the Theater and it was phenomenal. If you’re free on Friday, I highly recommend going. In addition, the Bijou Theater is right across the street.  The Bijou also hosts numerous great shows through the year.
   
No matter what you want to do in Knoxville, you can easily find it. Happy searching!

 — Rob Davis is a senior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at rdavis60@utk.edu.